What is preventing you from shouting from the rooftop, “The joy of the Lord is my strength, that this is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it!” My brothers and sisters in Christ, if you begin the day with worry, you will end it in weary, but, if you begin the day with prayer, you will end it with praise!

My brothers and sisters in Christ, you may not have a full cup this morning, but it is just what you need. If you are content with the little that you do have, God will lead you by streams of living waters that never will run dry, you will never be lost or lonely, because God will be with you. Therefore, be thankful for the blessings bestowed on you today and learn to wait patiently on the Lord.

Lord, we bring our situations before you each day, but we never stop to listen to hear what you have to say. Lord, teach us how to be still in your presence and await your directions. Lord, there is nothing good that you will withhold from those who love you and trust you, there is nothing that you will give to us that will not be edifying to us, so teach us Lord, to humbly make our confessions to you and wait. Amen!

If only we would remove all the evil from our hearts, there will be more than enough room for God. My brothers and sisters in Christ, our hearts are full of evil, our hearts are filled with treasures of the worthless kind. Our hearts are corroded, there is nothing good in them. Therefore, allow God to remove your heart of stone and fill it with a heart of goodness and love. There could be room made for God in your heart today.

God has need of you, humble yourselves before him and allow him to make you clean, to make you fit for his service. It’s not to say that God will not and cannot use you in your filthy state, but his will is for us to be cleansed from every stain of sin, to be washed in the blood of the lamb and be saved.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, daily God has been sending messengers to us in different shapes, sizes and forms, to share with us the good news of salvation; yet, many of us remain stiff necked, we have hardened our hearts, our ears have become dull, our eyes do not see and we cannot understand with our hearts. But, the time will come when God will cause all of us to see and to hear and to understand with our hearts and turn and no one will be able to refuse the good news of salvation. All will receive it! Praise the Lord!

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus is our great physician, he is always near and with a sympathetic ear. He is waiting on you and me to call out in a loud voice, saying, “Son of David, have mercy on me, for I am blind and I want to receive my sight. Approach his throne humbly, call upon the name of Jesus and come to him by faith, believing and you will be healed. Thank you, Lord!

“Speak Lord! Thy servant heareth, waiting for Thy gracious word, longing for Thy voice that cheereth Master, let it now be heard. I am list’ning, Lord, for Thee; what hast Thou to say to me?” Speak Lord, through the still, I am listening.”

Many times we fail to see our afflictions as good for us, but many who have been saved, were saved because of their affliction. When we are afflicted it drives us to our knees, it forces us to repent of wrongs we have done, it enables us to look deeply within ourselves  and really see if what we have been doing is pleasing to God. I want to remind you this morning, that afflictions at times may seem severe, but know that the severity of our actions hurt God more. Lord, help us to see our afflictions as being good for us and humbly bring us closer to you. Amen!

For God, who said “Let light shine out of darkness,” made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Oh glory be to God!